Some of you may know that I'm a fan of the show ER. Started way back 15 yrs ago with a crush on a doc named Doug Ross (sigh) and now the show ends next week. There have been several episodes that can still make me happy (when Nurse Hathoway goes to be with Dr Ross in Seattle) make me cry (when Dr Green kicks it in Hawaii while "Over the Rainbow" plays softly) (sidenote, Mandy and I bawled for hours over that episode!) and even still creeps me out (when the mental patient kills Lucy and stabs Dr Carter on Valentine's Day.) I'm invested in this show & I'm not afraid to admit it.
However, today it hit a little bit too close to home for me.
Last night (which I dvr'd and watched today) is the 2nd to the last episode. And if you haven't seen it yet- don't keep reading. I'm going to spoil it for you. You've been warned.
The premise on part of the show was the docs and nurses were volunteering at a "camp" put on in the hospital for kids who've had Open Heart Surgery. . . sound familiar yet? Knowing this, I think cool- maybe they have something like that for real (BECAUSE I KNOW TV ISN'T REAL!) that maybe Chase can go to later on.
So today Chase and I snuggle up on the couch & within the first 10 mins I'm crying. But happy tears, there are full grown teenage boys (and I read online that they used REAL OHS kids for this episode) playing BASKETBALL & ROCK CLIMBING. I mean- they are tall, athletic & look like every other kid. And they're showing their OHS scars like it's nothing. I was so happy, it was great- basketball is something I didn't really have planned for Chase- too much contact. Now Chase is looking at me like I'm crazy, bc let's me honest- I'm crying and staring at him like he's going to be the next Larry Bird :-) But I manage to calm myself.
Then the docs start mentoring this loner kid who has decided camp is dumb and he doesn't want to play. Until they probe deeper (of course) and this kid busts out with "my best friend and I have truncus arteriosis (Chase's defect) and we were supposed to come together this year. but he had his conduit replacement (Chase's surgery) this year & he died on the table." WHAT- ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? This kid is like 14/15 yrs old.
That was it- the floodgates from hell opened up & I was done. Seriously- in one hour long show I went from "geez look at how great & normal Chase's life can be" to yet another reminder that we have such a long road ahead of us. And no one knows what will happen.
I know that can be said for every person who gets in a car, walks on the sidewalk, swims, blah blah blah. But right now, I'm wallowing a little in the idea that several time over the next 18 yrs my son will be put at great risk. I don't wallow in that idea often, but ER did not help today.
My friend, Ann, suggested I should write to ER :-) But since they're off the air next week- I doubt they'd respond. lol!
PS- the website for the camp on ER (I totally knew it was real) is:
http://www.campdelcorazon.org/proact.html
The campers have to be 7 so we have a ways, but guess who is totally going to go!
No comments:
Post a Comment